Shearing machine



Sept-15, 1942. c: H. BROOKES 2,295,231

| SHEARING MACHINE Filed April 23, 1941 f 22 2119 20 l flh-l Patented Sept. 15, 1942 2,256,231 SHEARING MACHINE Cyril Henry Brookes, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, assignor to -Chicago Flexible Shaft Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application April 23, 1941, Serial No. 389,908 In Australia May 11, 1940 4 Claims. (Ql. 30--221) The present invention aims at obviating the forward thrust by the fork yokes and aims at effecting a more direct downward pressure upon the cutter and reducing wear upon the body of the fork yoke.

Normally as the cutter is ground and becomes thinner the angle made by the fork yokes with respect to the cutter becomes more acute and there is a greater tendency to press the cutter forward upon the comband furthermore when the cutter has been ground several times the teeth shorten, increasing the distance the wool must travel in the comb gullets before being cut, and making the handpiece harder to push.

The present invention aims at obviating the above disadvantages by arranging for the fork yoke to lie closer to the'cutter. Normally the fork yoke consists of an elongated portion which fits into a socket in the end of the oscillating fork or cutter bar and has two splayed end pieces which engage the cutter, one of which usually has a projection which enters a hole in the cutter. Two of such fork yokes are usually provided. In the present invention the fork yoke is brought closer to the cutter and is provided with means whereby it may be extended to provide for worn cutters in such manner that the cutter may be operated closer to the points of the comb than it would normally be capable of doing after having been ground several times.

According to the present invention the splayed end pieces of the fork yokes are shorter than formerly and the elongated portion of said yoke is made considerably longer.

The elongated portion normally is cylindrical and resides in the end of the oscillating fork which is bored to receive it, and in which it is secured by a suitable key which may be part of a driving member carried by the oscillating fork.

The elongated portion in the present invention for part of its length is parallel and of parof elongated portion.

tially cylindrical shape in cross section and when placed in its socket in the oscillating fork brings the splayed portions closer to the cutter than would be the case with the old circular form This also ensures that the wearing surface upon the elongated portion is increased and the fork yoke as a whole is not dependent upon the cutter driving means for retaining it in the oscillating fork.

Inwardly beyond the above parallel portion the present elongated portion has a tapering portion and a stem. The tapering portion preferably, is provided with a pin or lug protruding from the said portion and adapted to be inserted in corresponding alternative holes or slots in or upon the oscillating fork whereby the extent to which the fork yoke extends beyond the end of the oscillating fork is varied to provide for cutters which have been ground several times and which would otherwise be Working further away from the points of the comb. The invention briefly provides an improved method of applying pressure to the cutter and ensures that pressure is taken on faces more fitted to bear the pressure. It also enables a re-ground cutter to work in its normal position upon the comb with consequentially improved results from the handpieces.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is an expanded inverted plan view showing the end of a cutter bar or fork and a right hand and left handfork yoke of the improved form for use therewith.

Figure 2 is a plan of one of the fork yokes seen in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side View thereof.

Figure 4 is a reverse side View of the fork yoke seen in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an end view of the fork yoke looking towards the right in Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 66 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a vertical section longitudinally through a sheep shearing machine handpiece embodying my invention.

An illustrative form of my invention is shown as applied to a sheep shearing machine handpiece of the design shown in my copending application Serial No. 389,907 and in the application of Paul J. Musolf Serial No. 389,918. As shown, the handpiece comprises well known parts such as a handpiece body 30, a comb 3| attached to the under side of the body 30, a cutter 32 in coaction with the comb, a driving fork 8 pivoted on the body through means of bearing 33 and connected at its forward end to the cutter by means of fork yokes of novel construction and arrangement hereinafter described, and a tension pin 34 adapted to apply tension to the driving fork and consequently to the cutter. The mounting for the driving fork together with its relation to the tension pin is claimed in my copending application. The driving fork is adapted to be oscillated laterally by power means applied to the rear end 35 of the fork as is well known in this art.

The fork yokes which apart from their features of being right and left handed are similar and had best be referred to as the fork yoke, it being understood that the cutter bar or fork 8 requires a right handed and left handed fork yoke as seen in Figure 1.

The fork 8 of the sheep shearing machine handpiece, at its outer end has two channelled portions 9 disposed parallel to one another and terminating in a lug If). A T-shaped spring H bridges the two channelled portions 9 and has its extremities l2 disposed in slots formed between pairs of lugs l3, the spring ll being secured in position by a screw Id. The lugs I are bored to slidably receive the inner ends of the respective fork yokes 15 as will be explained later.

One of the fork yokes E5, of which there are two as before stated, is illustrated in Figures 2 to 6 inclusive.

As illustrated the splayed end I6 of the improved fork yoke I is of normal construction although somewhat shorter. The body I! has a parallel portion I8 of partially cylindrical section, see Figure 6, and a tapered portion IS.

The parallel portion I8 is accommodated in the forepart of the respective channelled portion 9 in the fork 8 and the tapered portion I9 is received in the rear part of the said respective channel portion 9.

The tapered portion l9 terminates in a parallel stem 20 which is guided in the respective lugs IU of the fork 8.

Means are provided whereby the extent to which the fork yoke l5 projects from the fork end, may be varied. As illustrated the tapered portion of the fork yoke l5 has a transverse slot 2| which forms two retaining positions for the fork yoke l5 when engaged by the extremities l2 of the spring I I. In the one case the spring extremities l2 lie in the slot 2| giving the extreme extended position to the fork yoke l5 for use after the cutter of the hand piece has had considerable grinding. In the other position of adjustment, the spring extremities IZilie'in front of the lug 22 formed by the slot 2!, in which case the end of the fork yoke I5 is closer to the fork 8 than before for instance when the cutter is new. In this latter position rearward movement of the fork yoke is prevented by a shoulder 23 on the stem 20 engag ng the fork lug I0.

I claim:

1. A sheep shearing machine handpiece having a comb and a cutter, a driving fork pivoted to oscillate laterally, a pair of fork yokes each having an elongated shank and fork arms extending forwardly therefrom and having contact with the cutter for applying the driving and tensioning forces, the fork yokes being mounted on the front end portion of the driving fork with their shanks in laterally spaced relation and parallel one with respect to the other and extending lengthwise of the driving fork, and means operative between the driving fork and the fork yokes to retain the latter in any of a plurality of working positions to which they may be adjusted lengthwise on the driving fork.

2. A sheep shearing machine handpiece as set fork in claim 1, in which each shank is of substantially semi-circular cross section with the flat side under, the driving fork having on its underside semi-circular sockets to receive the corresponding shanks, the shanks having a plurality of retaining shoulders spaced lengthwise thereof, the retaining means consisting of a spring pressed member carried by the driving fork and engageable with any of said shoulders for retaining the fork yokes in any selected position of adjustment.

3. A shearing machine handpiece having, in combination, a comb and a cutter, a driving fork pivoted to oscillate laterally, fork yokes operative between the front end portion of the driving fork and the cutter for applying the driving and tensioning forces, each fork yoke having an elongated shank and forwardly diverging arms at the front end thereof each coacting with the cutter, the driving fork having front and rear hearings to receive and position the fork yoke shanks in laterally spaced parallel relation one .With respect to the other and substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the driving fork, and means operative between the driving fork and the fork yoke shanks intermediate their front and rear bearings to retain the latter in any of a plurality of working positions lengthwise of said bearings.

4. A shearing machine handpiece as set forth in claim 13, in which each shank is of substantially semi-circular cross section at its front end portion with the fiat side under, the driving fork having on its under side semi-circular sockets to receive the correspondingly shaped shank portions, the shanks having on their underside a plurality of sets of retaining shoulders spaced lengthwise, and the retaining means including a spring member attached to the driving fork and shaped to engage any set of retaining shoulders to hold the fork yokes in the working position determined'thereby.

CYRIL HENRY BROOKES. 

